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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2019
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
Next regular update is Friday, February 1st.
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| CLICK to monitor HFD radio |
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| Comm. Reilly |
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Commissioner Richard Reilly
We sincerely regret to announce the passing earlier today of Fire Commissioner Richard Reilly, who was a current member of the Hamden Board of Fire Commissioners. Commissioner Reilly was the older brother of our own Capt. Raymond Reilly, who passed away suddenly in August 1987.
According to members of Commissioner Reilly's family, a memorial service will take place at North Haven Funeral Home on Saturday, February 2nd at 1 p.m., with a visitation from noon until 1 p.m.
When Comm. Reilly's obituary is published in The New Haven Register, we will provide a link on this website.
Please keep Comm. Reilly's family in your thoughts and prayers at this sad time.
Posted 1/30/2019
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| Joe in 1991 |
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Good News
Many of our members have been inquiring about retired Dep. Chief Joe McDermott, who hasn't attended a meeting since he broke his hip five years ago. We heard from his wife Helen a couple of days ago. She reports that Joe, who turned 92 last September, is doing very well. His memory is great, like a steel trap, and she says that visits would be welcome.
Helen OKs that if anyone wants their phone number or email address, just contact the website at hfdbadge102@aol.com. Joe would definitely appreciate a visit.
Posted 1/27/2019
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A very, very busy week for the HFD
(or, "Ain't it great bein' retired?")
Last week's ice storm posed yet another vast assortment challenges for our active department members and other town departments, including CERT. Over the course of only thirty-nine hours, the Hamden Fire Department responded to 192 calls. Check out the details provided below by the Chief's Office. Bravo, guys, bravo!
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- The HFD responded to 192 emergency calls from 0700 hrs. on 1/20/2019 to 2200 hrs. on 1/21/2019.
- 91 of these events were hazardous conditions due to power lines down.
- In addition to the hazardous condition calls above, regular volume was up 67%.
- There were three (3) structure fire responses: (1) confined to a furnace malfunction, (1) determined to be an exterior fire extinguished by firefighters, (1) in an apartment building, forcing entry into an apartment to extinguish a pot on the stove.
- Firefighters treated 36 patients for a variety of medical conditions, including 2 traumatic injuries related to the storm and one exposure injury due to the cold.
- An Emergency Operations Center was opened with our partners at the Hamden Police Department and UI representatives to prioritize access emergencies, road closures and the location of energized lines to be cleared.
- The Hamden Police Department provided a regularly updated list of road closures due to hazards. The last closure was cleared by HPW and UI last evening at 2030 hrs.
- Updates to Mayor Leng, the Public Works Director and the Police Chief were on going as needed and scheduled at 2-3 hour intervals.
- At the height of restoration activity, UI reported that 140 restoration personnel were actively working in Hamden.
- There were no firefighters injured.
- The CERT team was activated at 1600 hrs. on 1/21/2019 to open an additional large warming center (Miller Senior Center) to handle overflow from the Grace & St Peter’s location. The center was open from 1600 hrs. to 2200 hours and accommodated one family as they waited for power restoration.
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New Man at the Helm
Busy week for Chief Merwede
Following many words of praise from Hamden Legislative Council members who were present and voting last Tuesday night, Chief Gary Merwede was approved unanimously to lead our fire department into the 2020's. On Friday, before what was undoubtedly one of the largest crowds to gather in the town hall rotunda, Chief Merwede was sworn in as Hamden's 9th fire chief since the department was formally organized 94 years ago.
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| Addressing the Council following his Tuesday night confirmation |
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| Town Clerk Vera Morrison administers the oath on Friday. (Photo by Harold Mangler) |
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Chief Merwede follows in a long line that goes back nearly a century.
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60 Years Ago
North Haven Brick Co.
State Street (Hamden)
Saturday, January 31, 1959
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For more photos and Chan Brainard's personal account of the fire,
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| New Haven Sunday Register, February 1, 1959 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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| The New Haven Evening Register, Tuesday, January 21, 1944 (Courtesy of the James Strain family and the Hamden Historical Society) |
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Seventy-five years ago this week the Hamden Board of Selectmen named Capt. Albert Purce as Hamden's fire marshal. His new duties would be in addition to those of shift commander of one of two platoons of Hamden career fire personnel.
It would be almost five more years before Purce would come off the line to perform his marshal duties full time.
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1982 - Platoon 4 - Station 2
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1982 - Platoon 4 at Station 2 - L-R: Deputy Chief Francis Leddy, shift commander; Lt. Danny O'Connell, Firefighters Dave Strawhince, Gerry Dinneen, Harry Cubbellotti, Ralph Tomaselli, Ralph Dievert, Bob Surprise, and Richie Greening.
Photo by Dave Strawhince
Originally posted 7/15/11
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NEVER FORGET!
We will always remember our brother firefighters who made the supreme sacrifice, and the thousands of other innocent victims who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Always keep them, their families and the FDNY in your thoughts and prayers.
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